


Jared Kleinman, Matchmaker

by Repeating_Simple_Phrases



Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz, Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Bad Matchmaking, Blind Date, Connor Deserves Happiness, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, How Do I Tag, I Blame Tumblr, M/M, Rated for swearing, Sorry Not Sorry, endgame tree bros and boyf riends, jared is actually friends with a bunch of people :), jared's trying, not canon but just roll with it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2020-10-29 11:43:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20796089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Repeating_Simple_Phrases/pseuds/Repeating_Simple_Phrases
Summary: Trying his best to redeem his old friendship with Evan, Jared plays cupid with a few of his friends.P.S. Jared sucks at playing cupid





	1. evan

**Author's Note:**

> hey y'all im back with another chaptered, self-indulgent fanfic! these are probably going to be rlly short chapters, but i'll actually try to write more often :) .
> 
> but yeah!! here it is and i hope you enjoy

"Blind dates never work, Jared." 

Evan huffed, unloading the contents of his locker into his backpack, starting with his binder that was loudly labeled "homework". 

"And that, my friend, is where you're wrong." Jared slammed his locker closed, startling Evan and just about everyone else in the general area. "Blind dates work _all_ the time. You know Rebecca Davison and Charlie Myers? Their mutual friend, Leah Thomas, set them up on a blind date last year." 

"And?" Evan asked, setting his backpack at his feet before gently closing the metal door. 

"_And_ they've been the school's power couple ever since." Jared huffed, leaning back on the locker dramatically. "What I'm saying is that blind dates actually work. My mom and dad were set up on a blind date however many years ago and they're still together." 

Evan only rose a brow in response, picking up his backpack and slinging it onto his shoulders. 

"They're in a predicament, but it'll pass. Jesus Christ, Evan, just trust me on this!" Jared practically pleaded as they walked down the noisy hallway. 

"Jared, with the crowd of people you know, I don't know if I can trust you with my love life." The blonde quickly realized his words. "A-And who's to say that I even want to be in a relationship right now?" 

Jared grinned, pushing open the double doors to the parking lot, holding it open long enough for Evan to rush through. 

"C'mon, Ev," Jared rubbed his thumbs across the straps of his backpack as he continued to walk to his car. "Ever since Zoe Murphy started dating that debate team guy, you've been looking like a kicked puppy." Evan only grumbled in response, increasing his speed only slightly to pass Jared, waiting at the passenger door of Jared's car. 

"So what? A-Am I just supposed to get with the next person who looks my way?" The blonde sputtered, looking almost genuinely defeated, not enjoying the way their conversation was going, and neither was Jared. 

"Evan, you're an amazing guy, and I know that I've been an asshole for years, and I want to fix that. If you just gave me the chance, and would go on _one_ date-" He paused there, pursing his lips before speaking again. "I just want you to be happy, Ev. I know that Zoe meant a lot to you, but Zoe probably isn't as perfect as she seems. Hell, if she didn't notice how great you are, she doesn't deserve you." 

Evan cracked a smile, glancing at the pavement before back up to Jared. 

"Fine." He nodded once, hands toying with each other from slight uncertainty. "One date, but you have to promise me you'll find the perfect person." 

"I can't promise you, but I'll try my best." Jared grinned. "Besides, I think I already have someone in mind."


	2. jeremy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jared ropes jeremy in

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk why but i love the idea of a jared/jeremy friendship

"Hey Jeremy!" Jared exclaimed, running up to the scrawny brunette who froze in place as he heard his name. 

"Oh, hey, Jared." He spoke, surprised. "I'm on my way to class, walk with me?" 

"Yeah, that'd be perfect." Jared smiled, following with a little beat in his step. "So, I was wondering..." He trailed off, nudging Jeremy's shoulder with his own, exaggerating with a wink.

"About?" Jeremy asked, brows furrowed and arms wrapped tighter around his backpack that he wore backwards. "If this is about Brooke, she and I are still on good terms. She's even helping me study for my Geometry test because that shit's hard." He spoke with a smile, eyes wandering to the ground.

"No, not Brooke." Jared stated, pushing his glasses back into place. "Christine? Are you two still..?" He asked, hoping that his friend would know why a he was implying.

"Oh, no," Jeremy stated with a little sigh. "Christine and I kind of broke up a few weeks ago. We, uh, we realized that we didn't really fit together like we thought we would." He mumbled the ending part before picking himself back up again. "But, um, we're on good terms! And we've both moved pass that whole 'no dating for a month' phase. She established that, like, a week after we broke up." 

Jared nodded, crossing his arms as he shuffled around the clump of teenagers crowding around one locker. "So you're on the market?"

"Take me out to dinner first." Jeremy chuckled, joking with a grin. "But really, why are you so interested in me now? Did my charming features and unforgettable ass persuade you to come out?" 

"Jeremy, I've been out since freshman year, and your ass is flatter than the earth."

"Jeez, Jare, I'm trying to be funny." Jeremy playfully slapped Jared's arm. "But really, what's up?"

Jared regained his composure, straightening out his back before showcasing his smile. "What if I told you that I could hook you up with someone that would make your night worthwhile." He winked. 

"Sex?" Jeremy asked, utterly confused and slightly embarrassed at the thought of it. 

"No, you pervert, I'm talking about a blind date." Jared sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "C'mon, you've been staring at every fine ass that's passed you since we started walking down this hall, and I want to set you up on a date because you're my friend! Plus, with the first thought of sex, you must be pretty hor-"

"Y-You literally made it sound like you were trying to hook me up for sex!" Jeremy stumbled over his words, covering his warm, blushing face with the palms of his hands. The dark blue cloth of his cardigan covered more of his face, but the tips of his ears still burned with a touch of pink.

"Jeremy, you're 16, that's illegal."

"You smoke weed and that's illegal."

"So do you?" Jared huffed, dropping that little topic. "Okay, but really, can I set you up with someone?"

"I don't think that's a good idea, man." Jeremy mumbled, putting his arms back down with a audible exhale. "I know Christine and I are on good mutual terms about it, but I don't want it to seem like I'm throwing myself at someone right after I broke up." 

Jared nodded with a sigh. "I get it, you want to respect her by waiting, but what if you end up genuinely liking this person? Like, what if that date leads onto more, and you actually really enjoy yourself." He reasoned, shoving his hands into his pocket with a defeated huff. "I'll see you at lunch." With that, Jared turned around and started walking.

"Wait!" Jeremy flinched at the loudness of his own voice. "I'll do it. I'll let you set me up." The lanky boy stated. "One date, and it better be good." 

"It will be. I assure you." Jared smiled. 

"I, uh, I better head to class. See you at lunch." As soon as those words were spoken, Jeremy rushed to his class. 

"Two down." Jared nodded. "This next one will be hard."


	3. connor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk how to write connor/jared interaction so suffer with me guys :,)

"Hey Murphy, how's my favorite dealer?" Jared leaned onto the locker, trying to get Connor's attention. The long haired teen continued to rummage through his locker, obviously in search of something. "Connor? Hello? Earth to Murphy?" Jared leaned in closer, nearly seeing what was inside before Connor had slammed it shut. "Jesus Christ, Connor, you could've took off my nose!" 

Connor responded with a huff and a glance. 

"What do you want, Kleinman?" He asked, shoving whatever was in his hand into the main area of his messenger bag. 

With a pouting lip, Jared lowered his head in feigned sadness. "I just wanted to say hi like friends do." He exaggerated with a sniff, wiping away the non-existent tear at his eye. 

"We're not friends." Connor grumbled, shoving his hands into the pockets if his well-fitted jeans. "Doing one project with me means nothing." The taller teen stated, turning the other way, presumably where his next class was. 

"Acquaintanceship then." Jared rushed, following beside Connor despite having to walk faster, being notably shorter. 

"Who're you? Alana Beck?" Connor chuckled to himself as he slowed his pace slightly. 

"Only the less intelligent, less passionate version of her." Jared joked with a grin. "Okay, what I've been meaning to ask is-"

"No." Connor cut him off.

"You didn't even let me finish!" Jared's mouth gaped opened in offense, crossing his arms and almost genuinely pouting this time. 

"I don't want to get involved with your shit, Kleinman. Remember the last time you asked for anything?" Connor cringed from the memory, not wanting to see that many stink bugs, juul pods, and school faculty members in one area again. The tall brunette shook off the memory before turning back to Jared. "That was a one time deal, and you know it."

"Okay, fine, but I'm telling you, this won't be anything like this." Jared wore his shit-eating grin, obviously up to something.

"Spill." Connor gestured his head to Jared with a nod.

"Blind date."

"Absolutely not."

"C'mon! Is it because this would be your first date?" Jared asked, almost in a joking matter. "This would be the perfect reason- _excuse_\- to get out of the house, and it wouldn't be be a complete lie to your parents." 

"Why would I ever even consider doing this?" Connor asked, wearing an unpleasant face. 

"Because you could have a free favor from me. Any time. But nothing illegal." Jared rushed his last statement. 

"And why would you want me for this? You vaguely know at least half the school at this point." Connor pointed out. 

Jared sighed, wiping his hand down his face in frustration. "Because I can't just pick anyone, and I think that you'd like to be in a relationship, and that you have enough redeeming qualities so a certain guy or gal wouldn't run away after one conversation."

With a moment of thought, Connor looked at Jared directly in the eyes. "Four favors." He stated.

"Two."

"Three."

"Deal." 

The corner of Connor's mouth barely turned upward, but the little smirk was definitely present. "Three favors and an excuse to get out of the house. Sounds like a deal to me." He said, stopping for a second at the forked part of the hall. "I prefer guys, so do it right." Connor stated before picking up his pace and turning right, disappearing from Jared's sight.

Jared sighed. 

"Three favors, damn it. This better be worth it."


	4. michael

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ksjfjsjd ive been vv busy recently so im sorry for posting this so late :,))

"Hey Michael!" Jared shouted, only to get shushed by the multiple students in the library, all of them visibly trying to study. "Jeez." He murmured, quietly making his way towards the teen clad in the patch-adorned hoodie. His white headphones were completely covering his ears, and his eyes were closed, head swaying to the beat of the music. "Michael." He loudly whispered to the Filipino teen as he speed walked to him, nudging him roughly as soon as he arrived at his side. 

Michael only responded with a startled shout, earning the glares and shushes of the same students around them. 

"Jesus Christ, what gives?" The tanned teen asked, pulling the headphones from his ears and letting it hang on his neck, music playing loud enough from the headset to earn a few more dirty looks and huffs. 

"I need to ask you for something. _Big._" Jared emphasized his words, gesturing his head to the quieter corner of the library that was currently empty. Michael's brows narrowed in confusion and slight curiosity. 

"I already told you, man, the guy at Spencer's is my guy, so the Ecto-Cooler and Mountain Dew Red are off the table." He huffed, sliding the closed textbook into the open part of his backpack, wincing at the sudden crunch that it made, crushing his bag of chips.

Jared scrunched his nose as he heard the sound, glancing down at the backpack before looking back to his friend. "I'm not talking about your ancient drinks," Jared placed his hand on Michael's shoulder, looking down at him and using his height difference (that was only working for him since he was standing while Michael was sitting) to look down at his friend. "I'm talking about dating." 

Eyes grew wide from Jared's words, causing Michael to quickly push the few pens and pencils into the backpack as well, standing abruptly, Jared's hand falling off of his shoulder in response. 

"No thank you." Michael rushed. Jared had grabbed his arm and pulled him to the quiet corner of the room, crossing his arms with a loud sigh. 

"Come on Michael, I need you for this."

"Dude, I don't do dating. I'm going to be a boyfriendless bum when I go to college, and that's where my awesome story of self-discovery will begin." Michael pushed his glasses back into place with the backside of his hand. "I don't really plan on dating or anything in high school, and you know that."

"Okay, noted, but what if I found you the perfect boy?" Jared asked, "He could be short enough for you to hold him- no, no- _cradle him_ in your beefy man arms." Michael rolled his eyes to that, wearing a small grin. 

"My beefy man arms?"

"Yeah, those fucking guns. Those bad boys could carry and cradle your potential boyfriend as much as they'd like." Jared chuckled, wearing a slightly stupid smile. "I'm trying to set a few people up together, and I really think that I know someone who you'd really like." Jared glanced down at his shoes.

"Do I know him?" Michael asked with a tilt of his head, crossing his arms and leaning on the bookcase that lined the wall. 

"I don't think so, but that's what I'm doing!" Jared received a confused stare. "Blind dating, Michael. I want to set you up on a blind date."

"Seriously? I don't even get to know what he looks like?" Michael asked with a pout. He then sighed, staring straight at Jared before dramatically sighing once more. "Maybe if I knew the guy first, but I don't like the idea of dating someone I don't even know." He wore an uneasy expression. 

"You don't have the date the person," Jared stated, shoving his hands into his pockets, tensing his shoulders out of habit. "It's just a date, and I'll even have you choose the place!" He spoke loudly, causing a freshman girl to wince as she grabbed the book on the shelf across from them. 

"You're really not going to give this up, huh." Michael tilted his head, narrowing his brows before raising one. "Fine, I'll do it," He said, Jared grinning brightly in response. "_But_, if the date doesn't go well, you're buying me my next case of Mountain Dew Red." 

Jared nodded excitedly. "Yeah, sure, of course," He spoke with a grin plastered onto his face. "How much is a case anyway?" 

Michael smiled, snickering as he laid a hand on Jared's shoulder in mock sympathy. "I'll let you know when you buy it." The Filipino teen nodded before he turned to walk off, out of the corner and back to the main center part of the library, disappearing from Jared's sight.

"Four out of four, but at what cost..." Jared sighed as he following the path Michael took and headed out of the library.


	5. jared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jared having a :/ talk with jeremy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's finally done! :3 i just rlly love the jared/jeremy friendship dynamic♡

Jared was hunched over at his desk, resting his head on his hand as his eyes glossed over the assignment that was due at the end of the week. 

"Jared, can I stay here for the night?" Jeremy mumbled, face down into the pillow on Jared's twin sized bed. The younger teen rolled to his side, face remaining half-buried in the soft pillow. "I don't want to see my dad pantsless again." Jared spun around on his chair, facing his bed with a tired grimace. 

"Jere, you've been here for two hours, and you haven't done shit. Please go home at some point." Jared scratched the backside of his head before turning back to his computer, opening up another tab on his screen. "By the way, what's you're opinion on the whole 'blind dating' thing?" He asked, using his mouse to scroll down the page, eyes scanning whatever information that they could take it. 

"I already told you? I'm fine with it as long as you pick a good person." Jeremy answered, wiping his tired eyes. "Why?" He asked, staring back down at the pillow that his face was just laying in, tempted to shove it back in again. 

"I know I'm a genius and all, but I keep on feeling like I might be making a mistake." Jared sighed, spinning back to the Jeremy. "I mean, what if I fuck up? What if I fuck all of this over, and Evan hates me?" He took off his glasses, rubbing his eyes in stress until he could see colored spirals in the blackness.

"Evan? You have Evan involved in this?" Jeremy asked, shocked. "How did he agree to that?"  
  
"I have no idea, honestly, but that gives me more of a reason to not fuck this up." Jared gently placed the glasses back onto his face, the nose pads resting perfectly on the little indents on his skin from where they were laying for hours. 

"So you know who you're shipping him with?" 

"God, Jeremy, don't say _'ship'_, you sounds like a teenage girl who watches Sherlock and Supernatural." Jared had a pillow thrown at his face.

"Screw you, hater, I can ship Johnlock all I want." Jeremy said in the worst feminine voice he could conjure. With a little chuckle at the end, Jeremy let himself fall back on the bed, cursing and he forgot that he threw the pillow at Jared, not having any additional fluff to support his fall.

Jared held the pillow in his arms, hugging it and letting the top half support his head. 

"But really, Jare, do you know who you're setting him up with? It's kinda risky to promise the perfect match when you haven't even planned anything." 

Jared sighed. "I know, I know. I mean, I have _someone_ in mind, but I'm still kind of on the fence about it." 

"Is it Ronan from ap bio?" Jeremy asked in all seriousness.

"No, I thought he was transphobic? I'd never set up Evan with a transphobe." Jared cringed at the thought of it. 

"Should I even guess anymore?" 

"You can guess all you want, but I doubt that you'll get it." Jared spun back to his computer. 

"You're an ass." Jeremy groaned, running a hand through his mess of short, wavy hair. "By the way, you figured out who to set me up with, right?" 

Jared hummed in response, not giving any sort of positive or negative reaction. 

"Jared, I _swear_-"

"Chill out, man," Jared cut him off. "I found someone for you," Jeremy sighed in relief. "You're going to that snazzy lookin' Italian restaurant on Ford Street. They're paying." 

"Jesus Christ, why _there_?" Jeremy asks, almost in a panic.

"Because they have money, and they wanted to go there." Jared states clearly. "And don't forget to wash your hair, you greasy gremlin. I don't want you scaring them away. God knows what I'm getting into..." He mumbled the last bit. 

"I can't believe I'm going there on a _blind date_." The junior said, clearly not believing his own statement. "You're serious? You're not shitting me or anything?"

"Why would I screw you over like that? I'm not _that_ bad of a friend." Jared huffed. "You're meeting them on Friday at seven-thirty. Please dress decently, and _please_ don't be late." He tiredly pleaded. 

"Alright, alright, I'll try to look good for them." Jeremy sighed, "Do I even know them?" 

"A bunch of people do, so I wouldn't be surprised." 

"That's not helpful, Jared." Jeremy whined. "I guess I'll just find out when I see them."


	6. connor and jeremy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> first blind date ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey y'all i'm finally back with another chapter!!! thank you for waiting so patiently bc it literally means so, so much to me.  
life's been hectic, and motivation has definitely dropped with a lot of things, but i finally finished up this chapter! 
> 
> i hope you enjoy it!

"Jesus Christ, this place is nice..." Jeremy's shoulders caved in as he proceeded to walk alongside the sidewalk of the Italian restaurant. The glass windows clearly displayed the elegant interior of the restaurant, causing the teen to feel very self-conscious about his attire. Jared had told him to dress up, but being forgetful as he was, Jeremy forgot all about that advice. 

The junior shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, lingering outside of the establishment. It was nearly seven-thirty, and Jeremy was sweating buckets.

He regretted this. He didn't even know the person who he was set up with, and he definitely wasn't emotionally prepared to have another relationship right after his break up with Christine.

Maybe he can just call Jared and politely ask him to cancel the whole thing? No, his blind date is probably sitting inside, waiting for his sweaty ass to come inside and to immediately be disappointed in him.

His phone alarm went off in a series of intense buzzing, alerting him that is was now seven-thirty, and that he should already be inside, eating dinner with the guy or gal Jared had set him up with. 

"Let's do this." Jeremy mumbled to himself as he pushed open the double doors of the restaurant, meeting gazes with the employee standing at the podium. Her cleanly pressed uniform intimidated him more than the exterior of the restaurant did.

"Can I help you?" She- her name placard read 'Emilia'- asked, her well manicured nails tapping on the backside of the podium at a rhythmic beat.

"Um, y-yes, please, um, I'm here under the name 'Kleinman'. My _friend_ should be seated already."

Scanning over the book, Emilia grinned as she spotted the name. "Perfect, I'll escort you to your table, Mr. Kleinman." Emilia joked with a wink, holding two of the book-like menus in he hand as she lead him through the bustling ground floor of the restuarant.

He tensed as he walked past families that were dining, the feeling of anxiety wafting over him as he was clearly underdressed. The fact that he nearly tripped over his own feet didn't help either. 

"Here's your table, sir," The hostess grinned, standing beside his seated date. Jeremy's eyes were drawn immediately to his blind date. 

He didn't expect Jared to pair him up with Connor Murphy, notorious bad-boy-turned-slightly-better. After spacing out for a second, Jeremy seated himself across from Connor, anxiously receiving the menu that was handed to him. Jeremy watched as Connor had ordered water for the both of them, then realizing that Connor _had_ to order for him since he was lost in thought. 

"Hey, are you alright?" Connor asked, brows furrowing in confusion, but also doubt, as if he's expecting Jeremy to say something negative already. 

"Um, y-yeah, totally." The junior replied, his voice cracking, as if to display his unappealing feature. "I'm Jeremy." He extended his hand out to the senior faster than he had anticipated. 

"Connor," He responded, "And you really don't need to be so anxious." Connor extended his hand as well, firmly gripping Jeremy’s slightly sweaty one. 

Jeremy awkwardly laughed as if it were a whole response, not verbally responding until a moment later. “It’s a blind date,” He explained, pulling his hand back as Connor had done the same, now resting both hands on his denim lap. “I think I deserve a voucher for being a bit anxious.” He joked with a little smile, trying to lighten the mood to his best extent. 

Thankfully it did. His words cracked a smile from Connor, calming the junior down just a bit. 

“I do admit that this place is was fancier than it really needs to be.” Connor stated, fingers flipping through the little menu booklet that they had received despite already knowing what he wanted. “To be honest, I wanted to pick up the food from here and have something a little less _extra_. Of course Jared thought that it’d only be appropriate to have it here; that little shit.” Connor said, muttering the last bit, receiving hushed laughter from Jeremy regardless. 

“God, you’re right, he is a little shit.” Jeremy grinned as his laughter continued, Connor lowly chuckling as well. “I am definitely not suited for these places.” Jeremy spoke, not bothering to keep his voice down as much as he had earlier, now speaking at his normal volume. 

“Jared literally paid me to wear this,” Connor gestured at his cleanly pressed collared shirt and slacks. It wasn’t much, but when his closet mainly consisted of Hot Topic circa 2015, it was definitely a glow-up. 

Jeremy nodded as if he were inspecting the outfit displayed for him. “You know what would make it worse? A tie.” He said with a little giggle. His laughter came to a hold as the waitress Emilia had returned with their glasses of ice a water. 

“What would you like to have with us tonight?” She asked with a little grin, looking from Connor to Jeremy, a little shine in her eyes as if she were excited to watch what they’d do next. While Jeremy was in a slight panic, Connor quickly ordered for himself.

“I’ll have the pappardelle primavera,” He answered, glancing over to Jeremy, watching him frantically flip through the booklet. With a gentle chuckle and sigh, he spoke up again. “And my friend will have the baccalà all’ebraica.”

"Great choices," She spoke as if she were preprogrammed, no genuine compliment. "And will that be all?" With a silent nod from Connor and a slightly nervous and sweaty one from Jeremy, Emilia retreated back to the kitchen to give the order, letting the two boys be  
alone once more. 

Jeremy watched as she strutted back, only turning his head back to Connor when he cleared his throat. 

"Distracted there?" He asked, slouching in his chair as it was now only him and Jeremy. 

"Sorry," Jeremy sputtered out, straightening his back. "Uh, I guess? Sorry..." He trailed off, noticing his awkwardness and Connor's slight discomfort. "Um, by the way, what did you order for me?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"It's basically just a fish dish, really." He explained, not putting much effort into it. Jeremy was about to say something before being interrupted by Connor. "It should be fine for you to eat." He said, averting his eyes as he let the bit of hair drape over his face. 

The junior rose a brow, just a little confused. 

"Jared told me that you're Jewish, so I made sure that there were dishes here that you could eat, since dietary restrictions and all..." Connor trailed off, pushing a front that he totally didn't spend hours researching what he might and might not be able to eat, and if he could even eat anything they served at the restaurant. 

Jeremy hesitated for a second before he spoke, touched at the fact that Connor had put in so much work for a blind date. A gentle smile grew on his lips, an unfamiliar feeling of being so flattered. 

"Thank you," 

"It was nothing-"

"_Thank you, Connor._" 

The senior faltered at the interruption, a little surprised and hiding a smile after. 

"What kind of _asshole_ would I be if I didn't?" He asked, more of a rhetorical question than anything else. 

"You'd be surprised with the amount of people who wouldn't even _consider_ doing things like that for anyone," Jeremy said, relaxing into his chair, almost as to mimic his date. "There's this one girl, and she's one of the sweetest people out there, but I swear to God, she cannot remember what I can't eat for the _life_ of her." He ended with a chuckle, almost looking back at a Connor immediately after to see what his response would be. His mind did a little fist bump as he watched Connor's expression turn slightly brighter. 

Emilia soon returned with their dishes on a platter that she carried with both of her hands. "Thank you for waiting," She said, setting out each dish in front of the respective customer. Jeremy grinned as he deeply inhaled the savory aroma of the dish in front of him, earning a little laugh from both Connor and their waitress for the night. 

"S-sorry," Jeremy stuttered, spreading his napkin on his lap as he watched at the corner of his eye what Connor had just done. 

"You're fine," He smiled reassuringly, and it worked very well. 

The two continued their date with little to no awkward pauses, despite it being Jeremy in the date. They bonded over their hatred of Physical Education, as well as accidentally revealing where their favorite places were to get high in their town. Dinner concluded with them walking back to the parking structure where Connor's car was parked, the both of them with a little bag that they had filled as much as they could with the unlimited garlic bread rolls. 

"You know, I kinda feel bad about taking all of these garlic knots." Jeremy spoke through a little laugh, swinging the take-out bag's handles on his fingers. 

"Nah, don't be," Connor hummed, walking with a little pep to his step, clearly becoming comfortable around the junior. "Their food is overpriced, and they're a big ass corporation. Stealing a few garlic knots won't do shit." He loosely held his own bag between his fingers, almost threatening to fall down. 

"A few? We took, like, three of those little baskets worth of garlic knots," Jeremy chuckled, nearly snorting. 

"Yeah, but you don't regret it, do you?" Connor was met with silence, "Exactly." 

Jeremy continued following Connor back to his car, heading a soft little hum from a song he had heard on the radio when he was younger. The older tune brought a smile to his face, the distinct aroma from his take-out bag making him feel especially happy. They soon arrived to Connor's car, Connor being a gentleman and opening Jeremy's door for him.

"Very chivalrous," Jeremy laughed softly, entering the car, surprised at how clean it was. He swiftly pulled up his address into Google Maps. 

"Yeah, well, old habits die hard." Connor muttered under his breath, closing the door just a bit too loud as he disregarded the seatbelt that was only a few inches from him. "So, _secondary location?_" 

Jeremy's jaw dropped for a second, eyes slightly widened. "You did _not_ just reference John Mulaney at me!" He playfully slapped his arm. 

"Oh, you know, I'm just a man of culture~" Connor chuckled, "But really, anywhere else you want to go, or do you want me to just drive you home?" He asked, glancing down at his arm, definitely feeling that playful "slap" as it was a lot harsher than he expected. 

Jeremy snickered from the little previous comment, taking a moment to regain his composure before responding. "Um, I actually really loved our 'date', and I don't want to sound like an ass, but my dad is expecting me home at before 10." He explained, holding his phone out to Connor that clearly showed his address. 

Connor glanced at the time on the phone, noticing that it was nearly twenty minutes until Jeremy's curfew. 

"Alright, I'll take you home then." He said, carelessly shoving his key into the keyhole and starting the car. "So, I was thinking for our next date-" Connor began, setting the car in reverse as he pulled out of the stall. 

"S-second date?" Jeremy asked, a little stunned as he stuttered out something that even he couldn't quite understand. "I-I mean, I-" He was soon cut off by Connor's throaty laugh, catching him off guard. "W-what?" 

"Jeremy, I am just _playing_ with you," Connor said as a smile still graced his face, glancing back over to the junior before returning his eyes to the road.

"I-I knew that."

"No you didn't." 

"I... did not." A little smile lingered at Jeremy's lips, genuinely enjoying his time with Connor. He was a little disappointed at how fast the night had gone. "So, uh, you mentioned a second date?" 

"Oh, you want to go on one?" Connor asked teasingly, a little smirk on his face at his eyes stayed on the road, choosing to obey most of the road laws as he had a guest with him. 

"I-I mean, I definitely wouldn't be opposed." Jeremy grinned as he glanced back to Connor, seeing the streetlights reflect back on him. "But this time, I'm paying."

"You sure about that?" Connor turned his head back to him as they were at a red light, 

"Yeah, of course, you probably paid, like, what- seventy dollars for dinner? I have twenty bucks in my savings, and we can get a lot at McDonald's for twenty bucks." He joked, his hands settling on his lap. 

Connor chuckled, a breathtaking, crooked smile adorning his lips as he nodded his head. It was hard to tell whether or not that nod was to agree with what Jeremy said, or if it was just nodding to the rhythm of the barely audible car radio station that Jeremy couldn't distinguish. It was alright though, since honestly he didn't mind the lack of answer as this smooth melody had caused him to gently sway to the rhythm of the beats.  
It didn't take much longer for them to arrive in the more populated, domestic side of their city. Houses colored off shades of blues, browns, and cream- no, eggshell?- lined each road, and while they were all pretty small and definitely on the older side, there was a sense of comfort that came from just being around them. 

"So, I'm guessing that this is your stop?" Connor asked, glancing down at Jeremy's phone that was still unlocked and brightly displaying his home address as well as the route they had taken to get there. He squinted his mismatched eyes in attempt to see the house number on the mailbox as his headlights nor the yellowed street lamps weren't doing that great of a job. 

"Yup, right over here." The junior pointed clearly to the pale yellow house on their left. His house's exterior was in decent shape like the rest of the neighborhood's, so he didn't understand _why he suddenly felt so nervous for Connor to see where he had lived. Was it because Connor was a Murphy kid? Yeah, probably, and the Murphy's house looked like a goddamn mansion compared to everybody else's homes.  
That little internal ramble was interrupted you the sounds of the car's engine turning of, signifying that Connor had parked and was probably expecting him to get out of the car already. Slightly panicked, Jeremy rushed out, grabbing his cellphone and his bag of leftovers. _

"So, see you at school, Jeremy?" Connor spoke up from his opened window as Jeremy walked around the car, his leftovers held close to his chest as if that were his prized possession. 

"Y-yeah, counting on it." Jeremy nodded, a fond, little smile growing at his lips as he walked closer to the car door. "Thanks again for the date tonight. I think it's definitely been one of the best I've ever been on." He chuckled, his goofy grin on full display for Connor to see. 

"Yeah," Connor resting his arm along the ledge of where the window wouldn't rolled up from. "And- correct me if I'm wrong- but it's Jeremy Heere, right?" He cocked a brow, definitely knowing that he was right by the surprised reaction provided by Jeremy. 

"Um, y-yeah, how did you know?" He asked, perhaps sounding a little nervous. Did Connor really know who he was the whole time? It wouldn't be too big of a surprise, really. Students of their school are bound to walk passed each other at one point or another. 

"The school play, remember?" Connor fiddled with the hanging keys from where the car key had been shoved into the ignition. "And I know that you know who I am." Jeremy looked like he was about to interject, but Connor dismissively waved his hand. "I'll see you at school." He ended their conversation just like that. 

Maybe Jeremy was a little relieved that he didn't have to be the one to awkwardly back away from their little conversation as it was getting dangerously close to his curfew. 

"See you on Monday, Connor." Jeremy awkwardly instinctively saluted as he took a few steps back into the driveway pavement, already heading back to the front door. He was already yelling at himself in his head, but Connor didn't need to know that. 

"Yep, see you on Monday, Heere." Connor mocked his little salute by mimicking it, doing one of his own and appearing completely serious until he broke out into one of his award winning smiles that Jeremy was so blessed with seeing multiple times tonight.  
With that, Connor had started up his car again and pulled out of the driveway, giving a small wave as he drove off, leaving Jeremy at his half-open doorway waving back. 

Jeremy stepped inside the front door, greeted with his dad seated at the dining table that way practically at the entrance of their house. He wasn't really fazed at all, seeing as his dad always hung around there with his laptop or phone or newspaper. It was the usual. 

"So, how was it at Michael's?" His dad asked, eyes still transfixed on what the black and white print said on the abundance of papers. Truthfully, Jeremy felt that his dad wouldn't even comprehend what he'd say; his words practically going in through one ear and out the other. 

"I was actually hanging out with someone else." Jeremy unpacked the bag of leftovers, sliding into the kitchen to put the actual fraction of meal into the fridge as he had planned to take those garlic knots back to his room for himself. "His name is Connor. He's a senior." His voice was rather bland as all he received in response was a _"oh, that's nice"_.  
"So, yeah, I'm going to head up to my room now. Night, Dad." Without even waiting for a response, he walked to his room, shutting the door behind him. 

It didn't take long for him to shed off majority of his clothes and poorly throw it like a basketball into his hamper, missing it entirely and having to go all the way across his room to probably do away with it. It was only early ten, but he honestly felt kind of exhausted. Was this how blind dates felt? The one thing that Jeremy did know was that he wasn't planning to agree to blind dates anytime soon. 

Would this little Connor thing actually lead to another date? Jeremy definitely wouldn't mind. Connor was indeed rather funny and charming after you got to actually talk to him, and he was definitely happy with the outcome of tonight despite the awkward bits.  
He threw himself back into the bed, a little giddy smile on his face like a sticker that was slapped on. 

Jeremy didn't know exactly how he felt for Connor, but he'd let that be future Jeremy's problem. Well, it wasn't going to be too much of a problem, right? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i honestly can't say when the next chapter is going to release (or even get started for that matter), but i'm really wanting to continue writing this because i honestly love these boys and i love writing their interactions. 
> 
> drop a comment about what you thought about this chapter!! something you liked? something that stuck out to you? anything really!! love y'all


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